Huskies and other arctic dog breeds love chilling in the snow.
If you see a dog being left out in the cold and snow all day and all night, it might naturally raise some red flags and make you wonder if the owner is being neglectful. Making sure pets are safe in cold winter weather is a concern for animal lovers everywhere, but in some cases, misplaced concerns can cause headaches for perfectly responsible pet owners. Case in point: Huskies.
Husky owners are sharing stories of having the police called on them or being accused of abuse and neglect because their dogs prefer to hang outdoors during harsh winter weather rather than going inside to "stay warm." In fact, the colder it gets, the happier their Huskies are to lounge around outside, which leads to some comical images of dogs bathing in snow and uninformed good samaritans trying to "save" them from the elements.
"The cops and animal control both showed up at my house last night because someone reported an anonymous claim that we had left our dog outside in the cold weather," says a pet owner in a viral video showing his Husky dog, Nuko, contentedly lying in a yard full of snow. "It's pretty cold here in Maryland. And when the cops showed up, they said, 'Oh we're sorry. If we would have had known that we wouldn't have shown up. This is kind of a waste of time.'"
@freezinghusky Can’t believe the neighbors called the cops #freezinghusky
Indeed, many owners report that their Huskies are more than just content to be out in the snow and cold. They live for it. They thrive on it. The colder and snowier the better. Naturally, there are extreme conditions that any animals would need to shelter from, but certain dog breeds—Huskies, Malamutes, Samoyeds, and a few others—are built for arctic conditions, so they can tolerate cold and snow much better than other dogs.
And they all have owners who have to convince people every winter that they aren't abusing or neglecting their dogs when they refuse to come in from the snow.
@enzo_thesamoyed Abuse at its finest 😅 #enzo_thesamoyed #Snowdog #winter #dogsofttiktok #throwback #samoyed
The concern from neighbors is well-intentioned and based on legitimate concerns, of course. Some people assume it's okay to keep dogs out in the snow because they have fur, but size, age and breed make huge differences in how long a dog can comfortably or safely tolerate cold conditions. Dogs can get frostbite and hypothermia, so it's wise for pet owners to be aware of best practices for letting their dogs out in the winter. But certain breeds of dogs are built for the snow, so if you see these pups chilling outside, you might want to pause before assuming the worst.
Siberian Husky
Huskies are known for their icy blue eyes.Photo credit: Canva
Bred to be sled dogs in Northern Asia, huskies have a double layer of fur—a dense, wooly undercoat that traps heat covered by longer, coarse guard hairs that repel water to keep them dry in the snow.
Samoyed
Samoyeds are camouflaged in the snow.Photo credit: Canva
Known as the "smiling sled dog," Samoyeds were bred to work outdoors in the world's coldest places. The main thing that sets them apart from huskies is their pure white coat.
Alaskan Malamute
Alaskan malamutes are larger than huskies.Photo credit: Canva
Malamutes are kind of like huskies on steroids, being nearly twice their size. They are built for pulling heavier loads for longer distances, while huskies are built more for speed.
Norwegian Elkhound
When you hail from Norway, you have to like the snow. Photo credit: Canva
The Norwegian Elkhound has been dubbed the "silver viking." This ancient breed from the Nordic north is known for its hunting abilities.
Saint Bernard
Saint Bernards are known as snow rescue dogs.Photo credit: Canva
The famous Swiss Alps rescue dog, the Saint Bernard has long been associated with the snowy mountains, and for good reason. The gentle giants are built for the snow, with their thick coats and extra large size.
Newfoundland
The opposite of Samoyeds, Newfoundlands stand out in the snow with their thick black coat.Photo credit: Canva
Newfoundlands were bred to work in the icy waters of Newfoundland, Canada, and their double coat keeps them protected from the frigid temps.
There's a handful of other dog breeds that thrive in cold weather, most of which are large breeds with thick fur designed to protect them from winter elements. Owners of cold weather dogs tell tales of trying to beg and plead for their pups to come inside in from the cold, only to be met with blatant refusal and blank stares that say, "Why would I want to do that, human?" So if you see a dog from one of these breeds spending a lot of time out in the snow and cold, there's a good chance they are there by choice and are blissfully happy about it. Barring truly extreme conditions, it's definitely worth checking with the owner before calling the cops to report neglect.
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An Irish woman went to the doctor for a routine eye exam. She left with bright neon green eyes.
It's not easy seeing green.
Did she get superpowers?
Going to the eye doctor can be a hassle and a pain. It's not just the routine issues and inconveniences that come along when making a doctor appointment, but sometimes the various devices being used to check your eyes' health feel invasive and uncomfortable. But at least at the end of the appointment, most of us don't look like we're turning into The Incredible Hulk. That wasn't the case for one Irish woman.
Photographer Margerita B. Wargola was just going in for a routine eye exam at the hospital but ended up leaving with her eyes a shocking, bright neon green.
At the doctor's office, the nurse practitioner was prepping Wargola for a test with a machine that Wargola had experienced before. Before the test started, Wargola presumed the nurse had dropped some saline into her eyes, as they were feeling dry. After she blinked, everything went yellow.
Wargola and the nurse initially panicked. Neither knew what was going on as Wargola suddenly had yellow vision and radioactive-looking green eyes. After the initial shock, both realized the issue: the nurse forgot to ask Wargola to remove her contact lenses before putting contrast drops in her eyes for the exam. Wargola and the nurse quickly removed the lenses from her eyes and washed them thoroughly with saline. Fortunately, Wargola's eyes were unharmed. Unfortunately, her contacts were permanently stained and she didn't bring a spare pair.
- YouTube youtube.com
Since she has poor vision, Wargola was forced to drive herself home after the eye exam wearing the neon-green contact lenses that make her look like a member of the Green Lantern Corps. She couldn't help but laugh at her predicament and recorded a video explaining it all on social media. Since then, her video has sparked a couple Reddit threads and collected a bunch of comments on Instagram:
“But the REAL question is: do you now have X-Ray vision?”
“You can just say you're a superhero.”
“I would make a few stops on the way home just to freak some people out!”
“I would have lived it up! Grab a coffee, do grocery shopping, walk around a shopping center.”
“This one would pair well with that girl who ate something with turmeric with her invisalign on and walked around Paris smiling at people with seemingly BRIGHT YELLOW TEETH.”
“I would save those for fancy special occasions! WOW!”
“Every time I'd stop I'd turn slowly and stare at the person in the car next to me.”
“Keep them. Tell people what to do. They’ll do your bidding.”
In a follow-up Instagram video, Wargola showed her followers that she was safe at home with normal eyes, showing that the damaged contact lenses were so stained that they turned the saline solution in her contacts case into a bright Gatorade yellow. She wasn't mad at the nurse and, in fact, plans on keeping the lenses to wear on St. Patrick's Day or some other special occasion.
While no harm was done and a good laugh was had, it's still best for doctors, nurses, and patients alike to double-check and ask or tell if contact lenses are being worn before each eye test. If not, there might be more than ultra-green eyes to worry about.